The present invention relates to a device for opening and closing containers having flexible walls and containing a liquid or semi-liquid product, preferably foodstuff such as e.g. ketchup, mustard, dressing, mayonnaise or similar, said container comprising an inner coupling member which is located on the inner side of a sealed or closed portion of the flexible walls and said device comprising a tube member including a hole-making and coupling member which is adapted to be pressed through the closed portion of the flexible walls for opening thereof as well as adapted to be pressed on to said inner coupling member such that said tube member is fixedly attached thereto and the product can be discharged or fed out of the container through the tube member.
Opening devices for opening containers having flexible walls such that liquid or semi-liquid products can be discharged therefrom, are previously known from U.S. Pat. No. 603 793 and U.S. Pat. No. 4 776 488.
At the prior art opening devices however, the hole-making and coupling member can not be closed when the container has been opened therewith, but it is only adapted for opening the container and permit discharge or outfeed of the product from the container.
The object of the present invention has been to eliminate this problem by means of a simple device and this is arrived at according to the invention by providing said device with the characterizing features of subsequent claim 1.
Since the device is provided with said characterizing features, it is achieved that the container can be opened with the tube member and then closed with a sealing or closing means such that it need not be left open when a portion of the product has been discharged or fed out of said container. It is also achieved that the tube member and sealing or closing means is a one part member.